Moma Liangshan

Chapter 30: The Flower Stone Tribute is Successfully Retrieved; Herri's Talent Begins to Emerge

Two days later, Luo Wei and Yang Zhi successfully pinpointed the location of the Huashi Gang (a type of shoal). Wang Hao and He Li arrived at the site of the sunken Huashi Gang by boat and asked, "How many feet underwater is the Huashi Gang?" Luo Wei replied, "Thirty-seven feet." Wang Hao looked at He Li and asked, "What do you think we should do?" He Li replied, "The Huashi Gang is enormous. To successfully salvage it, we must use ropes to secure it in multiple loops. Otherwise, once the Huashi Gang is pulled out of the water, it is very likely to swing violently under the current. At that time, the boats on the water are very likely to lose their balance, and not only will we be unable to continue salvaging the Huashi Gang, but we ourselves may also be in danger of capsizing." Wang Hao nodded and said, "That makes sense!" He Li continued, “Iron chains are strong enough, but their weight is too great to be used. In my opinion, you could make a rope about the thickness of an infant’s arm, using seven parts hemp and three parts silk. Secure the rope underwater to the four cardinal directions (east, south, west, north). Then, raise it vertically upwards and connect it to the salvage vessel. Secure an iron ring with a knot every two feet along the rising rope.” Wang Hao interrupted, saying, “Everyone, listen to my command!” The people on the boat immediately agreed. Wang Hao announced the order: “From this moment on, He Li is appointed as the person in charge here. Everyone must obey his orders. After the matter is completed, I, Wang Hao, will host a banquet for you all!”

Seven days later, the special boats and ropes were all completed. Wang Hao, alone in a small boat, watched as He Li directed the others to salvage the Flower Stone Tribute. Luo Wei divided the water ghosts into three groups: five people in one group and four people in the other two groups. Luo Wei tied the rope around his waist and then somersaulted into the water. After a moment, the rope stopped falling. The other four people then dived into the water one by one along the rope tied around Luo Wei's waist. Just as the last person dived into the water, Luo Wei surfaced. Wang Hao waved to him, and Luo Wei, seeing this, swam towards Wang Hao's small boat. Wang Hao pulled him into the boat and praised, "What excellent skills!" Luo Wei slumped onto the deck, panting heavily. After a long while, he said, "The pressure of the thirty-seven-foot water was too great, squeezing my entire body until my muscles and bones ached terribly. Add to that the icy cold underwater, and my blood circulation was sluggish; three breaths was my limit. Moreover, the Yellow River was murky; ten feet below was completely black." Wang Hao asked in confusion, "In complete darkness, how did you find the location of the boulder?" Luo Wei explained, "The Yellow River has flowed for countless years, its riverbed entirely of silt, almost without any unevenness. Although there are crisscrossing currents underwater, their main directions are all the same. If a boulder suddenly appears on a flat riverbed, eddies must form. The reason I was able to find the location of the boulder was because of these eddies." "Guided by the current," Wang Hao said, somewhat understanding. "You can sense the underwater eddies?" Luo Wei replied, "Sensing the direction of underwater eddies isn't difficult; the challenge lies in moving in the turbulent currents in the direction you want." Wang Hao nodded in affirmation, saying, "Once you've secured the first rope, the subsequent tasks should be much easier!" Luo Wei said, "I only located the boulder; it was the brothers who secured the rope to it later." Wang Hao was taken aback at first, then understood: "Luo Wei could only rely on the eddies to explore the boulder's approximate location, which inevitably required considerable effort. With the rope's guidance, the others will be much faster, able to use their precious time to secure the rope to the boulder."

An hour later, all four ropes were secured. Four large wooden boats slowly approached, two with very deep drafts and two with very shallow drafts. The two deep-draft boats stopped at opposite ends, one to the south and one to the north, while the two shallow-draft boats stopped at opposite ends, one to the east and one to the west. The water spirit handed the four ropes to the two boats behind and quickly left. The strongmen on the boats threaded two pieces of hardwood, about the thickness of an adult's calf, through iron rings on the ropes, tightened them, and placed them on a special wooden frame on the deck. Soon, drums sounded, and the strongmen began to move bags of sand and gravel from the hold into the empty boats. Wang Hao observed for a moment and noticed that the two boats moved the sandbags at the exact same pace. As the load decreased, the draft of both boats gradually decreased, and the hardwoods threaded through the iron rings faced increasing strain, even bending slightly. With a huge ripple on the water's surface, the sand and gravel gradually detached from the bottom silt and began to rise with the boats. After rising about two feet, the strongmen on the east and west ships took out two almost identical hardwood logs and threaded them through the iron rings below. The drumbeats paused for a moment, then resumed. At this time, the sandbags from the east and west ships were returned to the north and south ships. As the east and west ships rose and the north and south ships sank, the ropes above began to loosen, and the strongmen on the north and south ships quickly pulled out the hardwood logs that had passed through the iron rings. When all the sandbags from the east and west ships had been moved into the north and south ships, the strongmen on the north and south ships threaded the hardwood logs through the iron rings below, repeating the previous cycle. After eighteen cycles of rising and falling, the Flower Stone Gang emerged from the water. He Li waved the blue flag, and the men waiting on the shore received orders to place the pre-made huge wooden cages on the ships and head towards the Flower Stone Gang. The eastern ship moved sideways by ten feet to make way for the wooden ship carrying the wooden cages. Upon reaching the east side of the Flower Stone Gang, the wooden cages were secured with ropes and lowered into the water. More than ten sandbags were hung on the outer walls of both sides of the wooden cages. When the wooden cage reached just below the sandbags, the strongmen used sickles to cut all the ropes securing the sandbags to the cage. Without the weight of the sandbags, the cage quickly floated up, carrying the entire sandbags. The east and west ships returned to their original positions, connected by ropes, and then, pulled by the ropes, descended to the east and west sides of the cage. The strongmen then threaded four hardwood logs through pre-drilled holes in the cage and secured them to the designated positions on the decks of the east and west ships.

Everything was ready. He Li steered his boat towards Wang Hao and said, "Reporting to Young Master, the Flower and Stone Tribute has been successfully salvaged and is ready to be transported to Tokyo at any time." Wang Hao was surprised and ordered the boatmen to row towards the Flower and Stone Tribute. When they were about two zhang away from the Tribute, Wang Hao was not only amazed by He Li's ingenious design but also overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the tribute. The sun shone brightly, and the Yellow River flowed golden for a thousand miles. Above the shimmering golden light, two wooden boats supported a strange rock that did not belong to the Yellow River basin at all. The turbid river water dripped continuously from the rock, adding to its mystery. Wang Hao gave the order and shouted, "Slaughter chickens and sheep to reward all the heroes. Except for those who are going to Tokyo with me, the rest will be paid tomorrow." The wine and meat were plentiful, and the money and food were not owed. Everyone cheered.

At the twilight banquet, He Li said, "I wish to accompany you, young master, to see the splendor of Tokyo. Would you be so kind as to grant me permission?" Wang Hao smiled casually and said, "Such a small matter, how could I refuse? I have a manor two li outside the gates of Tokyo, called Erlibao, where the martial arts masters accompanying me are all employed." He Li bowed and asked, "I've heard that you, young master, can brew wine that only immortals can drink. Is that true?" Wang Hao said, "This trip was rushed, and I didn't bring the Eight Immortals Wine with me. When we arrive in Tokyo, I will give you three jars." He Li said, "Let's drink!" Too many things disturb one's mind. I don't abstain from alcohol, but I'm not addicted either. Wang Hao said, "Me neither." Wang Hao, puzzled, asked, "You seem to have some education; what do you do for a living?" He Li, looking somewhat forlorn, replied, "When I was young, my family was relatively well-off, so I read some books. Unfortunately, I didn't like the Four Books and Five Classics, preferring Shen Kuo's 'Dream Pool Essays.' When I was fourteen, my father drowned in the Yellow River, and my mother barely managed to support the family. Three years ago, my mother also passed away and was buried in the Yellow River. I have a strong will..." He was skilled in martial arts and possessed some unusual and ingenious techniques, so he and his fellow struggling brothers relied on hard work to make a living. Wang Hao nodded and said, "If you are interested in venturing into Tokyo, I can offer you some assistance." After a pause, he added, "The gates of Erlibao are always open to you." He Li said, "Thank you for your appreciation, young master. I would like to first visit Tokyo. If it is a suitable place for me to stay, I will remain there. If not, I will return to the Yellow River beach and continue to make a living through hard work." Wang Hao was somewhat disappointed that He Li did not accept his offer and asked, "What are your aspirations?" "How about it?" He Li smiled helplessly and said, "I'm all alone, just drifting through life, with no ambition whatsoever!" Wang Hao was puzzled and continued to ask, "You don't seem like a muddle-headed person, so why do you have no ambition?" He Li said, "If I told you, sir, that I want to open a private school, not teaching the Four Books and Five Classics, but only crafts, would you think that's absurd?" Wang Hao countered, "Why would it be absurd? The books of sages teach people to cultivate their character, but what the masses need is not self-cultivation, but food and clothing. To expect people to cultivate their character when they are starving and destitute is simply wishful thinking!"

He Li sensed something different about Wang Hao and asked, "Does the young master hold an official position?" Wang Hao replied, "I am a sixth-rank Imperial Attendant, without a fixed post." He Li then asked, "Did you obtain this official position through the imperial examinations?" Wang Hao smiled awkwardly and said, "I am ashamed to say that I did not obtain it through the imperial examinations. It was bestowed upon me by the current Emperor." The fact that the Song Dynasty court was rife with factions was common knowledge. He Li said, "Sir, even with an official position and the Emperor's favor, it will be difficult to establish yourself among the scholars if you do not study the classics." Wang Hao said, "I am not a scholar, so why should I establish myself among them?" He Li was shocked and could not understand, asking, "Why? The world belongs to the Emperor, but even more so to the scholars. Only by establishing ourselves among the scholars, only by gaining their recognition, can we be worthy of our parents and ourselves." Wang Hao frankly said, "The classics are not my passion, so why force myself to study them? I only seek to act with a clear conscience; why should I care about others' opinions?" Wang Hao's question was like a thunderbolt to He Li, a wake-up call. After a long while, He Li said, "My father's lifelong wish was for me to pass the imperial examinations and achieve fame. My mother, after my father's passing, struggled to manage the household affairs and also hoped that I would pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to our ancestors. I am tired of the endless classical Chinese texts of Confucianism and prefer the wondrous and profound mysteries of craftsmanship. My heart's desires are completely contrary to my parents' expectations. Can you understand my distress, young master?"